Evans Family In Zambia: Random Stuff

I think it has been awhile since we have posted anything. Tonight I am writing not because I have any interesting story of mine or someone else’s to tell but because I am not in the shower and I can’t sleep. I don’t know why I can’t sleep but I’m not in the shower because the water is out. Alicia had hers before that happened and is asleep now. I’m not and there’s no water. This has happened before, once for a couple days- some guys dug a hole to bury some trash from the hospital in the wrong place and hit the water line. That time I had forgone a shower the night before to find no water in the morning (36 hrs post shower). The next day there was still no water and I was supposed to meet with the chief (60+ hours post shower). I was getting fairly nasty by that time so I had to at least double up the deodorant and get in the shower with some water buckets from outside to wash my hair. I pulled it off okay but then the meeting was cancelled so no worries anyway!
Anymore this is not so much a problem as I shaved my head awhile back and it is amazing. You don’t look so greasy and your hair looks the same in the morning. I have grown out my goatee and really just have not shaved at all in a month or so and kinda have what beard I can manage. I look a lot different I think and maybe not really good. But this is okay because I wear a hat most of the time and we only have one tiny mirror in our house which I never look in unless checking out a bug bite or sunburn I cannot see otherwise. That sounds terrible, but really it is great! No one here cares much what you look like and even if we dress funny one day people just think it is normal American stuff. They don’t know we’re not cool Americans, just American. The kids wear whatever, doesn’t have to match, and they fit right in. Everything is accepted, kinda nice. Even crew-cut-bad-facial-hair-smelly guys.
So, I hope the water is back soon because tomorrow we go to Livingstone to pick up my Dad, my Sister, and Alicia’s Mom. I also pick up new parts for the bathroom sink (we actually have 2 sinks), the shower, and the toilet (we do not have 2 of these). All three of which decided to have decently big issues a few days before they arrive and all 3 cannot be fixed from here but require parts from Livingstone. Seriously, I can’t make that up.
We have finished up the AI program and bred about 175 cows or so. Hoping for good conception rates in a couple months. Been doing a few dog surgeries on the dining table here and there. Seeing sick cattle in between and treating various random things in dogs, offering management ideas for pigs, etc. Lost a wheel on our trailer we use to haul the head gate for the AI. It came off in the bush thankfully, the bearing went out. Made for a crazy day with the head gate in the back of the truck again and people on top. After a week I finally was able to get out there with the parts to fix it (not easy to find especially with my mechanical knowledge of bearing repair). Now I am working on finding some replacement wiring for the lights that was clipped out at some point as it sat out there. Another errand for Livingstone.
The kids are super excited about seeing Alicia’s mom (sorry Dad and Megan). They are sure she is going to buy them a coke every day in Mwandi and can’t wait to go out to eat with her in Livingstone. More than one night they have stayed up talking about which places they will take her during our 2 nights there when they first arrive. It will be big stuff tomorrow! Rachel remains tougher than ever (to parent and in real life). She is working on being kind and not getting in fights with other kids during church so she can get her knife back. She lost whittling privileges for 2 weeks after hitting a kid who did something (?) at church. Trying to get her to focus on the issue of loving people but she is focused on whittling again. I think we are pretty good parents most of the time…?
All 3 kids are loving life really and enjoy doing so much here. Isaac has a friend now, Moses, who hangs out with our family all the time and that has been really good for him. Ethan gets along with everyone (even Rachel often!) and is always in such a good mood (except homeschool). He loves shopping in the market and buying things for others. I was having a bad day once and he came back with Alicia and had bought me a Coke to cheer me up.
Alicia is super excited to see her mom and we have been fixing up the house a little more these last couple days in preparation (hopefully this will make up for having no working utilities nor water possibly). She loves Africa and hopes her Mom will like it too.
Hopefully this blog entry can make someone laugh, life is good and we are doing well here. The things above are not complaints, just funny things about life here that we didn’t have to deal with before. Each time Alicia and I laugh (most times I should say) and it seems to be okay anyway. There is a sense of purpose about being and a joy in overcoming challenges and meeting the people they put in your life when they happen. God can give us our purposes (Eph 2:10) wherever He chooses in this life but for some reason we have found it easier to see from here. I don’t know how long until He calls us to another vantage point, but for now it is a good view.

-paul

James 1:22- Kids memory verse the last couple weeks.